What A Child This Is
by GoneFishing-Cullenistic357
Summary: The Cullens' stumble upon a little girl, and save her life. This girl, Claire, has magnificent powers. Where has she been hiding and why can't she remember anything? And why does she hate the new girl, Bella? It's actually funny despite the summary.
1. The Finding

Edward's P.O.V

The grandfather clock ticked repeatedly. I'd had nothing else that could hold my interest. For the past two hours I'd sat in the same chair, in the same position, staring at that clock. The ticking continued. Then it chimed. 6:00 p.m. Alice and Jasper descended the stairs as the chimed echoed through the otherwise empty house. I turned my attention back to the clock, the last note sliding higher than intended, making the reverberation sound eerie. Jasper took a seat in the corner and closed his eyes, annoyed. Alice pranced around me, skipping and twirling round and round. I agitatedly drummed my fingers on the table, waiting for her to say something. She still spun much-too-happily around me after five minutes, adding her own chipper humming. I huffed angrily. I opened my mouth to speak but she stopped in front of me with her hands on her hips, cutting me off. She scoffed.

"Sorry, Mr. Cranky Pants! I'm just excited!"

"Why, Alice? Why is this any different than usual?" I asked.

"I'm not always excited." She argued.

"Yes, you are." Jasper answered quickly, without looking up.

"Fine, say what you want! But next time Emmett tries to screw up your music sheets by re-arranging the notes, you won't hear it from me ahead of time!" she shouted a little too loud. I heard glass shatter somewhere in the house. I rolled my eyes.

"You're paying for Esme's glass vase."

"Don't worry I will."

"So what is it that's got you all hyped this time?"

"I won a bet with Jasper!"

"Well, Jasper. That was probably not smart, betting against Alice. You'd probably have a better chance of catching lightning in a bottle. What did you bet?"

"None of your damn business," he grumbled. Alice laughed.

"He bet against me in a wrestling match. First one he has ever lost!"

"So what's the damage?"

"Well, he said that if I lost, he gets to confiscate my credit cards for a month. So I said if he lost, I could take him shopping and dress him in whatever I wanted," she smirked, "….but I never said it would be in men's clothes!"

Jasper's jaw dropped and he growled inwardly. Then the rest of the family made their way into the house. They scrutinized Jasper's angered face, and Alice's smug expression, and their thoughts were confused.

_What's got Jazz's panties in a bunch? I bet he lost a bet with Alice, _Emmett thought.

"You are exactly right, Emmett. Jasper lost a bet to Alice and he's angry because he has to be her little mannequin."

"Ha-ha! Oh! Nice one, Jazz." Emmett guffawed. Carlisle cleared his throat.

"I think it is time to hunt."

"I agree." I stared into the black eyes of all of my family.

Without hesitation, we all ran out the back door.

*** * * * ***

Jasper's P.O.V

We had all finished hunting. This had been our first hunt together in years. It seemed kind of nice, in a weird, twisted, murderous, family-bonding kind of way. We decided to walk back home instead of run back. It was a nice evening; the kind you really appreciated on a hot summer day, though we rarely got those. It's misty and bright for eight o'clock. The smell of moss, flowers, rain, and freshly-cut grass hung in the air. We were walking through a small field that stretched beside the road into the tiny town of Forks. But suddenly, a felt an emotion radiating from someone: Anger, sadness, dread, fear, pain; total hysteria. But as I looked around me I only saw the happy faces of my family. Then Alice stopped dead in her tracks. I knew what was coming. Something bad was going to happen. We all stopped with her. I shook her lightly, hoping to find a break in her concentration. She snapped out of it, but not quickly enough.

Alice's P.O.V

My vision. Oh no! This is the worst thing I've ever seen. It has completely ruined the future! All because of her. Before I could get any words out, I heard a piercing scream. All of our heads snapped up, concerned now. They looked at me.

"My vision!" I gasped.

They didn't even need to ask to know what was happening. Something bad, something terrible. We ran towards the screams, flying across the grass. We ended up at a deserted playground, where we found a little girl with her back facing us, lying on the ground. I could smell the blood so I sent Jasper away. I told him to run home and prepare Carlisle's equipment. We quickly made our way over to her, flinching from her painful wails and shrieks. We rolled her over and she groaned. We tried to get some information from her.

"Little girl, what happened?"

She wouldn't speak. She cried hysterically, clutching her stomach. Carlisle pried her hands from her abdomen to reveal blood stains soaking the thin blue cotton long-sleeved shirt she wore. She was bruised and bleeding, with bones broken, and dirt and blood matted her hair. I heard Edward hiss. I watched him turn and run for home. Carlisle picked the little girl up. She looked at me with big blue eyes, through her tears. Her shaky, frightened voice managed to squeak one question:

"Am I going to die?" She whimpered.

Before I could answer she closed her eyes and her head hung. I looked worriedly at Carlisle but he shook his head. I heard her frantic heartbeat. That was enough to get me through. We ran home with the little girl. Finally we saw the long drive that led to our house. There was hope for this girl. When we got inside, we moved with such urgency, giving of a tense atmosphere. Jasper looked like he was getting a migraine. I went to his side, and patted his shoulder.

"Maybe you should go outside. Clear your head, you know?"

"Sure thing, Alice," he mumbled.

He stood and was out the glass door in two bounds. He leaped over the river and was out of sight. Poor Jasper. I knew this was hard for him. This was all new to him. I ran back to Carlisle who was working quickly and quietly over the girl's motionless body. He stitched up her cuts, and bandaged her breaks. But it wouldn't be much longer.

"We don't have much time. Alice, help me change her. Rosalie, Emmett, go upstairs and prepare a place for her to stay," Carlisle rushed.

I turned her arm over and over looking for a good spot that would insert the venom directly in her bloodstream. She already smelled good, and I'm not sure if I could contain myself. I found a good spot where the vein showed easily. I lifted her wrist and carefully sunk my teeth into her pale, bloodstained skin. I couldn't help anymore. She tasted too good and I didn't want to get carried away. I grabbed my clutch and ran out the front door. I got in Carlisle's car, and drove quickly down the highway. I know what will make me feel better: Shopping. Pathetic, right? I'm going shopping while a little girl's life is changing forever. She'll be altered. There'll be no more _for the rest of my life_; there'll only be _for the rest of my existence. _She'll never get those first experiences. Her first date, first boyfriend, first break-up, first car…and she'll never get those. But she is just a little girl! Who would do something like this? I made it to the mall just in time before I snapped. I parked behind the mall and locked all the car doors. I sat in the floor of the car and my breath became choppy. That girl. She was burned in my brain. She reminded me of myself. We were both abandoned. We both had dangerous predators that lived for the kill; lived to kill us. We both had so much to live for. We had dreams and ambitions. We had wants and needs. But all hope is shattered. And a life is lost. I put my head between my knees and screamed. I screamed for the pain I'd suffered. I screamed for the things I'd lost. I screamed for the people I'd hurt. I screamed for everything and nothing. It didn't help thinking of my past life. The past I could hardly remember. I could only remember the most painful things. I had a great home in Biloxi, Mississippi. Parents who loved me. Until that first vision. They thought I was insane. No one believed me. I was put in that crazy shack. It was hell for me and no help at all. I didn't want to revisit. I stopped screaming and took a deep breath. Maybe it was time to face the world. Embrace my fears. But I could only do so much. I sure hope, for the girl's sake, she'd have an easier time with the undead than the rest of us.

Rosalie's P.O.V

I made the bed with extra fluffy pillows. I sure hope it was comfortable rest for her, because it was the last rest she'd get. The screams had already started when we brought her to the room. We laid her in the bed and tried to comfort her. I held her hand, while Carlisle stoked her hair telling her, _it'll be over soon. I know it hurts. I'm so sorry. It was the only way to save you_. It was the very first time Emmett had nothing to say. He sat in the corner, watching the little girl scream. She thrashed around all night, writhing. I didn't want to hear it anymore. It seemed like looking in a mirror for all of us. That painful first memory for all of us was just as unbearable as it is for her. But soon it would be over. We sat motionless for days, bearing the screams. We'd be her family now. Obviously, she couldn't go off on her own. She needs a guiding hand; someone to keep her out of trouble. She'd make a lot of mistakes that she'd regret. It wasn't hard to imagine her out alone in the cold. It was just like we found her, except she'd be a ravenous vampire. She was broken, and it was our job to heal her. Finally, her screams decreased to whimpers. Then she was silent. But she continued not to move. We all moved to her side, hoping to find her opening her eyes soon…

****

Thanks for reading everyone! Please review!! I need ideas.


	2. Awake

Emmett's POV

I learned how to do a cartwheel!! OMG Rose is going to be proud of me. Yeah, because I'm so awesome with my super-strong Emmett muscles! I texted her to tell her the great news.

**Rosie-Posy,**

**I learned how to do a cartwheel! I bet you are loving me now! Your sexy beast, Emmett! (Psst! I bet you love my new sig)**

**MonkeyMan**

I sat on the swing, twisting around and letting myself spin superly-fast around and around and around! It didn't even bother me that little ten year olds were passing me, pointing and laughing. I just gave them the finger and they walked away. I heard a ding-dong and whisked out my phone. It said "1 New Message From: Rosalie". I read it eagerly.

**Emmy-bear,**

**Uh…wow. Cartwheel. Never done that before. You do remember I was a cheerleader last year, right? I can do way more than a cartwheel. But, good job, babe. I guess. Ha-ha! **

**Guns'N'Roses**

I chuckled at Rose's sig. Mostly because she knew nothing about Guns'N'Roses. She thought of using it as a sig when we were at the lunch table and she saw Jesse walk by carrying his tray, and she saw "Guns'N'Roses" and she said,

"That's it! The perfect sig!"

I texted her back.

**Rosie,**

**I can't believe you picked Guns'N'Roses, just cause your nickname is Rose. It's like your old sig, RosesAreRed, or that other one, RingAroundTheRosie. Oh, yeah and how's that girl doing that we found? She okay?**

**MonkeyMan**

I slid down the kiddy slide, waiting for her to text back. I found a random stranger and asked her to take a picture of me sliding down the slide. She agreed, but hesitantly with a confused expression. I didn't need Edward to know what she was thinking: _This guy must have lost his mind. A six year old in a seventeen year olds body. What a creeper. Oh well. He's pretty cute._

I threw my hands in the air and yelled, "Meef!" and she laughed. It was the perfect shot so I made it my wallpaper. My phone said "1 New Message From: Rose". I read it.

**Emmy,**

**I love all my sigs. They are like my little word babies. It's hard to choose which I like best so I switch every few weeks. And the kid, she's been awake for two hours. You missed it. She's so cute! You want to meet her?**

**Guns'N'Roses**

I didn't bother to respond. I jumped in my Jeep and zoomed back home. Alice would see me coming. I turned on the radio and "TiK ToK" by Ke$ha was playing. I couldn't help but to sing.

"Wake up in the mornin' feeling like P-Diddy, grab my glasses, I'm out the door, I'm bout to hit this city, before I leave brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack, cause when I leave for the night I ain't comin' back! I'm talkin' pedicures on our toes, toes, trying on all our clothes, clothes, boys' blowin' up our phones, phones…drop toppin', playing our favorite CDs, pullin' up to the parties, tryin' to get a little bit tipsy… Don't stop, Make it rock, Deejay blow my speakers up, tonight, I'ma fight till we see, the sunlight! Tick tock on the clock but the party don't stop, no! Whoa Ooh Whoa Ooh Wha-oh, Whoa Ooh Whoa Ooh Wha-oh!" I howled.

Then I was home. I burst through the door and my family and the rescued new born girl were stifling giggles.

"What's so funny?"

"TiK ToK, Emmett? Really? You have a great voice." Alice said, giggling.

"We heard you singing all the way up the road." Jasper chortled.

"I liked it. It was magical…" the little unknown girl sighed, resting her chin on her knee. She smiled a soft smile at me, and I could tell that she knew I was wrapped around her little finger. My concentration wavered and my bottom lip stuck out when she batted her eyes up at me. She was pretty darn adorable. I could tell she already got to everyone else to play right into her hands. I spoke first.

"Aw! Thank you. What's your name, cutie?"

"Um…I can't remember. No one ever uses my name. They call me what ever they want to call me. Sometimes, I don't even think I have a name. Gracie? Avery? Samantha, maybe." She shrugged tilting her head to the side.

"Oh oh oh! You know what this means? We get to name her!! We get to name her, don't we? Oh please, can we, Carlisle?"

"Oh sure." Carlisle said, not looking up from his papers.

"We should call her Morgan!" Alice chirped.

"I think we should call her Claire." Jasper mused.

"Can we call her Rosalie? She's got beauty like me!" Rosalie bragged. She got a thumbs-down from everyone.

"I like Claire. I like the name Kendra, too." Whispered the little girl.

"Hmm…that's a nice name. Claire Kendra Cullen. I like it." We all agreed. Claire is perfect.

* * *

Alice decided we should all go shopping. I climbed in my Jeep with Rosalie, and put Claire in the back seat, and Alice led us to the mall. When we got there she moved like a hurricane. She bought clothes for herself, for Rose, for Claire…for all of us. She didn't even bother making us try it on. She bounced around from store to store. She stopped at RadioShack® and purchased a new phone: A My Touch.

"Alice, what the hell? You just got a new phone last week! You are taking this overboard." I yelled.

"Whoa calm down, Captain Hormones. It's not for me. It's for Claire."

"She's seven." I said.

"I'm eight and a half, Emmett!" Claire squeaked. She stopped in the middle of the store, so very pointedly trying to make a scene. She dropped to the ground, laying on her stomach. She smashed her face into the carpet, smothering her wild, noisy fake-crying. She's trying to give the impression that I'm a bad big brother! This will not do! I'm too awesome.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry, Claire. I take it back. Please don't cry. Please." I begged. People were starting to stare. I picked her up off the ground and rocked her back and forth. She had real tears streaming down her cheeks, and I would've been fooled had not she winked at me and Rosalie. I went along with it.

"Okay, Claire," my voice boomed, "we'll go get ice cream if you want."

"Yay! Thank you, Emmett!" She kissed my nose and giggled as I tickled her and set her back on the ground. Rosalie was impressed.

'Wow, Emmett. You would make a great father." Rosalie mused.

"Yup, I'm just freaking awesome! Love it up, babe."

I was about to kiss Rose, when my phone went ding-dong. She smiled and walked over to Jasper and Edward who were standing in the corner looking completely lost as ever. I pulled out my phone and saw I had "1 New Message From: …431-9581. I was puzzled because I've never seen the number, but I read the message.

**Emmett,**

**Hi! It's CKC. Claire, in other words. Alice taught me how to text and she gave me all your numbers! I love all of you already. But…um, my throat hurts. It's burning really bad. What am I supposed to do about that? Text back**

**Claire-Bear**

Aw, I love her sig. It's so cute. But I don't think she knows she's a vampire and she needs to hunt. We never told her. Oh well. Looks like it's up to big brother Emmett!

**Claire,**

**Wow, you are so young to be texting! Well, I guess there is always a first for everything. We all love you too! Oh, and that burning in your throat…It means you are thirsty. But a cup of water won't help. We'll explain on our way to hunting. **

**MonkeyMan**

I looked up and saw Claire across the room. She was sitting in Jasper's lap with one arm slung around his neck. She reads the message. She gasps, and looks up at me with watery eyes. Which is very peculiar, as I think back to about fifteen minutes ago when she had tears streaming down her cheeks, because, well…vampires can't cry. This vampire child may end up being chaos for us.


	3. So, You're A Push

Claire's POV

I think…Emmett just told me that I'm a vampire. I cannot be a killing machine. I'm only 8 and a half! But I know I have a power already. I've tested it on the RadioShack® lady named Kirsten. She looked about nineteen years of age and had her curly blonde hair in a ponytail. She looked almost similar to Rosalie, except for Kirsten has green eyes, and freckles that dust the bridge of her nose. I took advantage of this mortal. I pushed her. Not in the sense that I physically pushed her down, but I pushed my thoughts into her head, making her believe whatever I dream up. I made her think it was time for her break. People like me are called Pushers. Like from that movie "Push". I never believed they really existed until I became one. I don't know if I should tell anyone. But I think the person who would understand the situation best is Jasper. I am hiding right now on the upper level of the mall in a utility closet. They don't know I'm here. I ran out of the store before they could catch me. I chewed on my stretchy wristband, thinking of what to say. I pulled my phone out of my shorts pocket and proceeded texting Jasper.

**Jazz,**

**It's Claire. I'm scared. Can I tell you something?**

**Claire-Bear**

**Claire,**

**Where are you? Are you okay? Are you in trouble? Did you get hurt? I hate the mall so much. There are too many emotions flying around everywhere. It gives me a headache. I swear, if these overly sensitive, chocolate-eating, emotional teenage girls stop groping over a break-up through a text, maybe my life would be easier.**

**SuperNinjaz**

**Jasper,**

**OMG SHUT UP! I am trying to tell you something. Come to the utility closet upstairs beside American Eagle. Oh and can you come alone if possible?**

**Claire-Bear**

Wow. I have an interesting brother.

Jasper's POV

I just love escalators. I rode up and down the escalator five times each before I quit and got off on the upper level. I ran down to American Eagle and slid around the corner to the utility closet. Inside, Claire waited, hugging her knees to her chest. I closed the door and sat down beside her.

"Claire, what's this about?"

"Jasper? Has there ever been a time where you wish you were somehow different, with a different personality and a different power? Do you ever wish you weren't an empath?"

"Sometimes. It gets unbearable to feel everyone's emotions. I wish I could just turn it off for a day."

"I could show you your life if you were not an empath." she gulped.

"What?" I asked. Then I saw a picture of me and Alice at a restaurant in Seattle. There were people around feeling so many different emotions, yet I was smiling at Alice, kissing the top of her hand and passing a flower to her as she giggled and patted my face. We strolled along the streets to see the lights, hand in hand and it was as if we were the only two people on the street. Then it was gone.

"I had the strangest fantasy that I wasn't an empath. It was nice." I said hesitantly.

"Yes, I know it was nice. I made it, and I put it in your head. I have a power, Jasper. That's my power." she said, her voice cracking from pressure. I stood up and picked her up, too. I tried to look casual coming out of a closet but it still looked funny to me. We walked back to the escalators. I bent slightly and whispered, knowing she could hear.

"So you're a Push, huh?"

"Yes, I am." She said sheepishly.

"Well, you are a lucky duck. I've always wanted to be a Push. I have a friend over in Indiana named Adam who's a Sniff. Alice is what you'd call a Watcher, or psychic. She sees the future. Plus, my great-great niece is a Mover. Not unlike your mother." I smiled down at her. She gasped.

"My mom was a mover? But, she died."

"I do my research. Your mother, Barbara Wake, was a mover. You are Kelly Wake. But, word on the street is, you died two years ago, soon after the death of your mom. But that isn't possible. Where have you been for those two years? Is that why you can't remember anything?" I pulled her to a bench and she sat cross-legged, chewing on a pink stretchy wristband. She cleared her throat.

"I've been all over. I go wherever my mind tells me to go. I push people and they take me in. But I see one thing too much in every house I stayed in. Children abused, parents that fight, smoking and drinking, and sometimes, some places were just too perfect. Nothing was left out of place and nothing ever changed. So I had to leave. Nowhere was ever really home." She whispered.

"So you were a Push before you became a vampire?" I asked.

"Yes, I always had the power. Just, now it's enhanced."

"Oh." I said, not knowing what to say to her, or how to comfort her.

"I don't want to be Kelly. In my mind I was never Kelly Wake. I want to stay Claire." She begged.

"It is always up to you. Your decision is what matters. We all respect that." I said, patting her back.

"Do you know how I've survived this long without going insane?" she asked.

"I good therapist and hour-long sessions three times a week?" I joked.

"No!" she scoffed, flicking my ear. "I am never truly gone until I'm 'gone'…" she says.

"What? I don't get it." I say.

"There is this place I made. It's an escape from reality. I named it Everland. It's a place where I find peace and there are no problems. I can take you there if you wish." She trilled, her blue contacts a near match to her eye color before.

"Um…Claire, I don't think it's possible to--" but she cut me off.

"C'mon please?? I promise we'll have fun." She batted her eyelashes.

"Oh fine," I say, my willpower crumbling to nothing.

"Okay, let's begin," she says, taking my hand. We stood up and she spoke again.

"Now close your eyes."

"Okay." I close my eyes.

"Now, rub them a little, just until you start seeing colors."

"Okay." I say, rubbing my eyes until elaborate shapes and lines burst with colors of purples, blues, green, yellows, and so on.

"Now, spread your feet apart."

"Okay." I spread my feet apart.

"Now keep your eyes closed for a minute. Do you see a red E?"

"Yes." I see an E and it's red in the corner of my vision.

"Reach for it. Grab it with your right hand."

"Um…Claire, I can't exactly…"

"Just do it, Jasper." She scoffed. I did.

"Can you feel it? Is it in your hand?" she said excitedly.

"Yeah. I actually can." I can feel it in my hands, as impossible as it seems."

"The E is for Everland. It is the key to enter. Now, take my hand with your left hand, and put the key on the ground with your right hand." I did.

"Okay, now what?"

"Tap your foot twice, then pick the key up again." I tapped my left foot twice and bent down for the Everland key.

"Okay, now open your eyes." She said. I did, but we were still in the mall. I looked down at her and she beamed up at me.

"Claire, we are still at the mall." I said disappointedly.

"Not for long. Ready for the best part?" She gripped her invisible key in her left hand.

"Ready as I'll ever be." I said.

"Okay now, take a step forward with me," she said and we stepped forward. "Now on the count of three, I want you to throw it." She smiled.

"1…2…3!" she squeaked and we both threw the key.

I gasped in amazement, because never before had I seen such a thing. When we threw the keys, they exploded into an array of color and light, leaving the world behind us. It sprayed and swirled, forming images and smells and sounds. Not just the ones you hear on the street, but the really good ones that bring you back to the basics. I can see giant trees that are so perfect for climbing, they almost seem imaginary. Beautiful flowers and orchids sprung up, and the tallest tree in the very center of the field has a porch swing tied to it. The place smells of some floral scent I can't quite put my finger on, and Mama's homemade fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. We sat on the swing, and a glass of sweet tea appeared in her hand as well as mine. Of course we wouldn't drink it but it seemed to make the scene feel right. I liked the way the light caught the dew on the spider web and how everything seemed to make music. It was a perfect place.

"Wow. Claire, this place is amazing!" I said.

It truly was a dream come true.


End file.
